Chris Froome insists that he had no influence on the decision to leave Bradley Wiggins off the Team Sky roster but admits that the presence of the 2012 champion would have changed the dynamics of the team. The 2013 winner says that it all came down to keeping a core group together for most of the season.

When Bradley Wiggins was left off the Sky roster for the Tour de France, it was widely rumoured to be a consequence of his tainted relationship with team leader Chris Froome. However, the Kenyan-born Briton refuses the suggestions and claims that he had no influence on the decision.

“Just to make it absolutely clear, I do not have a role in selection," he told several media. "I do speak to Dave Brailsford about the group of guys I have been racing with, but if you look at how a Tour team is generally selected, the guys doing a Tour will be doing altitude camps together really quite early on in the season, racing together as a group. We really are a tight-knit group."

Asked if he would have objected to Wiggins' inclusion, he said: "Not necessarily. It would definitely change the dynamic of the team having Bradley on the team, but that is bike racing. You are not always going to be best friends with everyone on the team all the time.”

Froome was also asked to comment on the news about Daryl Impey testing positive for Probenecid. The pair rode together at Barloworld a few years ago.

“It was quite shocking this morning to have the news about Daryl, someone I know really well," he said. "He has been a team-mate with me on Barloworld [in 2008 and 2009].

“I did send him a message when I found out this morning. I just said I was really shocked to read the news and I hope things get resolved.

“Obviously, I don't really know the details of the case. I don't know if it is something that can be resolved on his side or if it is 100 per cent definite. Knowing Daryl's character, he has always been very outspoken against doping, so it is a big shock to me.”